As much as it celebrates these successes, the Administration has been also been hit with various scandals and controversies.

This piece examines what could be described as a yield to public pressure in the New Patriotic Party government’s push for some major policies.

In July 2017, Government sought to implement a mandatory vehicle towing levy previously approved by Parliament in 2012. Under the programme, vehicle owners and or operators were to pay various annual compulsory sums in anticipation of a tow service when and wherever their vehicles broke down.

Commercial vehicles and taxes were to pay GH¢40, whereas mini buses were to pay GH¢80. Heavy duty trucks were to pay between GH¢80 and GH¢200 annually, depending on their tonnage. Non-commercial vehicles were however expected to pay GH¢20. But the policy did not receive the expected support. Added to the largely social media backlash, the PPP’s 2016 Presidential Candidate, Dr. Nduom described the policy as smelly.

In his words;

This smells badly. Chop chop for whom? At whose expense? Let those who flaunt the law pay and leave the rest of us alone. (emphasis supplied)

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) also had a field day with the by now unpopular policy.

Watchers of the Insurance industry were not left out. In the end government announced a withdrawal of the policy in a statement signed by Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, which read;

Upon consultations consequent to the calls, government has decided to seek a review of parts of the law. (emphasis mine)

Well, the people wondered; should the broader consultations not have been done before the attempt to implement a law even its makers thought was extortionist?

And it also came to light in December 2017 that the National Service Scheme announced a controversial life insurance cover for serving personnel.

Under the policy, each of the over 90,000 personnel was to be compulsorily deducted GHc15g monthly.  Social Media exploded almost immediately! Some of the Service Persons dragged the Scheme before Court while others petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

Executive Director of the Scheme under the Mahama Administration, Kpessah Whyte perhaps summed up the general public concern when he described the policy as a “daylight robbery.”

Again, the cries of the people reached the ears of the government, and the policy, through the National Service Secretariat, was withdrawn…

The insurance policy for national service personnel has now been made optional… Management has therefore decided to suspend the mandatory monthly deduction of Ghc15.00 from personnel allowances. (emphasis mine)

As if government and its agencies had not taken enough heat, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) at the dawn of 2018, started levying persons registering their vehicles a compulsory GHc108 each for first aid kits.

The Minority in Parliament raised an alarm, triggering a fresh wave of social and traditional media bash against the Authority.

Frantically as the DVLA defended the policy, its supervising Ministry, the Transport Ministry, denied all consent of, or concurrence to it; and the Minority demanded a probe.

Well, once more, the listening government, in the words of Deputy Transport Minister Titus Glover, came to the rescue. The ordinary driver got a reprieve.

In all of these instances however, questions remain of the conduct of government business.

Why would a government that seeks to eliminate entirely, nuisance taxes allow its agencies to impose such fees, fines, levies and charges, and do it so wrongly?

Is central government really unaware of these illegal impositions?  Then who protects the public interest, I shudder to think.

–

By: Sixtus Dong Ullo

The writer is a broadcast Journalist at Citi 97.3fm

Email: [email protected]

The post ‘Illegal’ policy impositions; who protects the public interest [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows a directive by the board of DVLA that halted the implementation, after the Transport Ministry said the DVLA acted arbitrarily in implementing the policy.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cpPmctu3Zp9LT5u291FrZVHYyFAikZEc”]Speaking on Eyewitness News,  a Deputy Transport Minister, Titus Glover, said potential claims should be “looked at case by case,” whilst reiterating his earlier assertion that the situation was totally unacceptable.

“They should make an application. So long as the board has instructed that they should stop it entirely. It should be looked at on a case by case [basis], and if you make the application, why not,” the deputy Minister stated.

The DVLA halted the charges on the instructions of the Ministry of Transport.

The Ministry said that stakeholders involved were not properly engaged ahead of the policy’s implementation.

The DVLA  introduced the compulsory charge of GHc 108 for the acquisition of the kits for new vehicle owners seeking to register their vehicles.

The charge was met with stiff opposition from vehicle owners, who argued that they reserved the right to purchase such items by themselves at a cheaper cost.

Minority MP calls for probe

Meanwhile, the Minority Spokesperson on Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, has told Citi News the Transport Ministry must immediately set up a committee to probe the matter.

“Who actually at the DVLA decided that in the name of this country called Ghana, drivers should be charged GHc 108 for First Aid Kits? The Ministry [should] quickly set up a committee, identify this individual or individuals and sanction them appropriately.”

“Ghanaians are not going to take this apology and go home and say that is the end of it,” Mr. Agbodza stated emphatically.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post First Aid Kit charge: Drivers can file for refund – Transport Ministry appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Deputy Transport Minister, Titus Glover, told Citi News that the DVLA has been communicated to in that regard.

The DVLA failed to duly inform both the board and the Ministry before going ahead with the implementation, according to Mr. Glover.

The DVLA this week introduced the compulsory charge of Ghc108 for the acquisition of First Aid Kits for new vehicle owners seeking to register their vehicles.

This decision has been met with stiff opposition from vehicle owners, who argue that they reserve the right to purchase such items by themselves at a cheaper cost.

The Minority in Parliament subsequently registered its opposition to the charges, and called for it to be halted.

Speaking to Citi News, Deputy Minister of Transport, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, said the DVLA needed to have engaged its stakeholders properly before introducing the policy.

“Let me put it on record that the Ministry of Transport is not aware of the sale, because if there should be any major decision, the management needs to discuss with the board of DVLA, and it’s also on record that the board is not aware of the sale. So we were all taken unawares when this issue came up, so what we intend doing, is to invite the Chief Executive of the DVLA and his team to the Ministry. The choice is on the driver, they have to walk into any shop and buy their own First Aid Kits. If the drivers in my constituency want to use any First Aid Box they can walk into Community One and just grab one and pay for it.”

“You must have the right to express yourself on the price, but where you force it down the throat of the drivers; they can resist it because first of all, there has not been any proper engagement and this is a New Year. They have to halt it because this is a national security matter. If the drivers decide to lay down their tools, it will become a problem for all of us” he lamented.

The DVLA had early on defended the decision to charge vehicle owners for the provision of First Aid boxes.

Speaking to Citi News’ Philip Nii Lartey, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the DVLA, Francis Asamoah Tuffour, said the introduction of the levy was necessary to ensure the safety of road users.

“Research that we’ve conducted indicates that, about half of the vehicles we have in the country don’t have First Aid Kits. The slogan of DVLA is ‘Your safety is our concern.’ As an institution, we need to raise revenue for the state, but the safety of the drivers and occupants of the vehicle is our hallmark. So we are saying that we want to introduce this system so that the First Aid Kits will be in your vehicle so that in the event there’s a cut or accident or a minor injury, you can treat yourself before going to the hospital,” he said.

He denied suggestions that the charge was introduced by the DVLA to fleece the drivers in order to raise revenue for the Authority

“It is not a deliberate attempt to introduce the system to take money. The DVLA is not an institution that is so poor. We are thinking about the safety of drivers. There have been instances where accidents have been recorded and there’s no First Aid kit available. It’s worrying and as a country, we have to look at it. Things are changing and we have to move alongside,” he said.

‘More than just a First Aid Kit’

Francis Asamoah Tuffour also clarified that the amounts being charged covered not only the First Aid Kit but other items as well.

“All the components are factored into the amount and not just the First Aid Kit. There are about three or four items, the kit, the license pack and some others.”

He also insisted that there had been announcements of the new charge in the media prior to its implementation, dismissing claims that it had been sprung on the public.

“Once you go through the registration system, that’s where you pay for it. The whole thing started on Tuesday so for those who are saying they have no idea, they have to come again. Those who came on Tuesday attested to the fact that they paid. That notwithstanding, if they aren’t aware, it’s something that has been introduced, not for our sake but for their own safety,” he added.

“Prior to this, sometime last year, we had some media announcements with respect to this. The fact that they have not heard doesn’t mean that they are unaware of the system. Even if they are, they should just embrace the system for their own sake.”

–
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie & Philip Nii Lartey /citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Transport Ministry halts DVLA charges for First Aid Kits appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.